Storage library systems are capable of storing and rapidly retrieving large quantities of information stored on storage media cartridges. Such storage library systems often use robotic mechanisms to improve the speed of information retrieval and the reliability of maintaining the storage library cartridge inventory. These robotic mechanisms typically comprise a hand mechanism positioned on a robotically movable arm. To retrieve information, the robotic arm is moved to position the hand near the inventory location of a desired media cartridge. The hand is then activated to grip the desired cartridge and remove it from the library inventory location. The robotic arm then moves to an appropriate position to further process the cartridge. In this manner, the robotic hand manipulates the cartridge for access to information stored on the cartridge.
Generally, the storage library system will include a plurality of stacks of cartridges which are accessible by means of the above-described robotic handling mechanism. Generally, the cartridges are stored within magazines having a plurality of cells formed therein for receiving the cartridges. The magazines are supported by a receiver in a manner such that the cartridges are exposed for retrieval by the robotic handling mechanism.
It is sometimes desirable to remove and install magazines as modular units in the storage library system for providing access to different types of information in groups. Accordingly, such magazines may be periodically removed from the storage library system while containing cartridges within the cells of the magazine. Accordingly, it is desirable to have the cartridges automatically locked within the magazine when the magazine is outside of the storage library system for handling, and further to have the cartridges automatically unlocked for removal from the cells as the magazine is inserted into the respective receiver.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,795,042 discloses a storage library system in which the cartridge cells are automatically unlocked as the magazine is inserted into the receiver. The present invention represents an improvement of the storage library system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,795,042 in that a locking mechanism of the magazine is held between locked and unlocked positions by an actuator member of the receiver as the magazine longitudinally moves with respect to the receiver.